While South Carolina softball fans are anxiously awaiting this weekend’s NCAA Super Regional where the Gamecocks will host UCLA, a group of former Gamecocks are hoping for some long-awaited payback, dating back 42 years. That’s when South Carolina and UCLA squared off in an epic 17-inning marathon at the 1983 Women’s College World series, with the Bruins winning 2-1 in what is now tied for the second longest game in the event’s history.
“I just can’t look at UCLA anymore,” laughed Shirley Burton, who was the first baseman on the 1983 team and is now a caregiver for the elderly in Fayetteville, N.C. “We knew we were playing one of the best teams in the nation. We were ready and knew we could win these games. Back then, softball on the west side of the U.S. was popular, but it wasn’t as popular in the South. So, playing in that atmosphere was just electric. I think we surprised some people, and the program got a lot of fanfare because of it.”
“UCLA has a lot of history and tradition in softball that you always hear about, and I always think, ugh, we had our chance and didn’t get it done!” said Loui Piel, who was the 25-year-old first-year head coach for the Gamecocks in 1983. “There were some great plays on both sides. Both teams had runners in scoring position at different times. We both had strong pitchers and good defenses. We only had two seniors. We were a young team, but they all had good experience at high levels of competition, and they knew they could compete with UCLA. I feel like if we had won that game, we could have gone on and won the national title.”
“It was a long day,” said Cindy Long, who was the designated hitter for the Gamecocks that day and was named to the all-tournament team. She is now the clinical manager of respiratory care at Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge Hospital in Columbia. “Darlene Lowery pitched all 17 innings for us, and Debbie Doom pitched all 17 innings for UCLA. We should have won that game.”
In 1983, college softball was only in its second year as an NCAA sponsored sport. South Carolina was making its first College World Series appearance under Lou Piel, who guided the Gamecocks to a 30-10 record despite being hired just a few months before the season started. The World Series was then played in Omaha, Nebraska from 1982-1986.
UCLA, which included legendary shortstop Dot Richardson, had won the inaugural NCAA WCWS the year before, and this was only the second meeting between…
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